Highlights

Critics say govt using texts to build grand image of Modi in the minds of children

The process was transparent and books were selected on merit, says Vinod Tawde

Educationists surprised as books on PM have been given preference over other key figures.

Not Jawaharlal Nehru or Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the most important political leader in the country’s history if the school books ordered by the BJP government in Maharashtra are any indication.

The state education department has sought nearly 1.5 lakh books on Modi at the cost of Rs 59.42 lakh, but only a few thousand on the country’s first prime minister and other historical figures, leaving educationists stupefied. The books, in Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati and English, will be kept in libraries of zilla parishad schools as extra reading material for students in classes I to VIII.

Critics said the government appeared to be using texts to build a grand image of Modi in the minds of children.

One of the titles, ‘Pradhanmantri Narender Modi’, as the publisher has called it, is a 24-page booklet full of Modi’s pictures, including from the days when he sold tea with his father. Copies of comic series ‘Chacha Choudhary Aur Narender Modi’ and biography ‘Narendra Modi’ have also been ordered.

The first two are published by Delhi based Diamond Pocket Books Pvt Ltd and ‘Narendra Modi’ by Nashik firm Vilas Book Agency & Prakashan.

The tendering process was completed in January and the books are expected to arrive by the end of this month. Though they are not meant for schools run by the BMC and other municipal corporations, they can purchase them through funds provided under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.

“It seems both the Centre and the state are using public money to establish the prime minister as a modern icon.

From the Teachers’ Day event of 2014 to the PM’s proposed February 16 lecture on his recent book ‘Exam Warriors’, the state is trying to occupy children’s minds in politically motivated ways,” an education researcher said. “Instead of doing all this, the PMO should direct states to utilise funds for fixing problems in our education system.”

In all, the state education department has ordered 1,30,50,859 books on several important figures. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj tops the list with 3,40,982 copies followed by former president APJ Abdul Kalam (3,21,328) and Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj (1,93,972). But Modi is the only political leader who has been given prominence by the department. Only 1,635 books on Nehru and 2,675 on Indira Gandhi have been sought.

At a charged Rajya Sabha session last week, Modi appeared to back Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s leadership credentials against Jawaharlal Nehru’s. The Maharashtra education board has not called for any books on Patel, Modi’s icon.

The order list also contains 4,343 texts on Mahatma Gandhi, 79,388 on Dr BR Ambedkar, 79,388 on former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and 76,713 on social reformer Mahatma Jyotirao Phule.

This is the first time in two years that the state has requested for reading material under a free book fund for government schools. “The books can provided to students during the reading period. However, it’s up to the schools how they want to go about it — they can give the books in the classroom or let students borrow them from the library,” said Swati Sathe, officer on special duty, education.

NK Verma of Diamond Pocket Books told Mirror he received the order worth Rs 40 lakh last month. “There are about 1.5 lakh books on Modi. We will dispatch the order between February 20 and 25,” he said. “The comic ‘Chacha Choudhary Aur Narender Modi’ has bits on his (Modi’s) life, childhood, his drive to serve the country and his journey from CM to PM.”

It is part of a series in which Chacha Choudhary tries to improve people’s attitudes on issues such as cleanliness “through the agency of children”, said Verma’s son, Manish Verma, who is part of the content development team.

Vilas Podar of Vilas Book Agency said the biography ‘Narendra Modi’ was written specifically for young children. “It covers his childhood and his journey to the prime minister’s post,” he said.

Education Minister Vinod Tawde rejected the claim that the government had focused on only buying a large number of books on Modi.

It is a wrong impression. Some books have been purchased. There are nearly 4 lakh books on Shivaji Maharaj. The books were selected by an expert committee of teachers constituted by the Maharashtra State Council of Educational Research and Training.-Vinod Tawde

“There was a tendering process and various publishers applied. The whole process was transparent and books were selected on merit.”

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